(A) Except as otherwise authorized by the Firearm Concealed Carry Act, 430 ILCS 66/1 et seq., § 137.01(A)(3), (A)(4) and (A)(7) do not apply to or affect any of the following:
(1) Peace officers, and any person summoned by a peace officer to assist in making arrests or preserving the peace, while actually engaged in assisting such officer;
(2) Wardens, superintendents and keepers of prisons, penitentiaries, jails and other institutions for the detention of persons accused or convicted of an offense, while in the performance of their official duty, or while commuting between their homes and places of employment;
(3) Members of the Armed Services or Reserve Forces of the United States or the Illinois National Guard or the Reserve Officers Training Corps, while in the performance of their official duty;
(4) Special agents employed by a railroad or a public utility to perform police functions, and guards of armored car companies, while actually engaged in the performance of the duties of their employment or commuting between their homes and places of employment; and watchmen while actually engaged in the performance of the duties of their employment;
(5) Persons licensed as private security contractors, private detectives or private alarm contractors, or employed by an agency certified by the Department of Professional Regulation, if their duties include the carrying of a weapon under the provisions of the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor and Locksmith Act of 2004, 225 ILCS 447/5-5 et seq., while actually engaged in the performance of the duties of their employment or commuting between their homes and places of employment, provided that such commuting is accomplished within one hour from departure from home or place of employment, as the case may be. Persons exempted under this division (A)(5) shall be required to have completed a course of study in firearms handling and training approved and supervised by the Department of Professional Regulation as prescribed by § 28 of the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor and Locksmith Act of 2004, 225 ILCS 447/5-5 et seq., prior to becoming eligible for this exemption. The Department of Professional Regulation shall provide suitable documentation demonstrating the successful completion of the prescribed firearms training. Such documentation shall be carried at all times when such persons are in possession of a concealable weapon;
(6) Any person regularly employed in a commercial or industrial operation as a security guard for the protection of persons employed and private property related to such commercial or industrial operation, while actually engaged in the performance of his or her duty or traveling between sites or properties belonging to the employer, and who, as a security guard, is a member of a security force of at least five persons registered with the Department of Professional Regulation; provided that such security guard has successfully completed a course of study, approved by and supervised by the Department of Professional Regulation, consisting of not less than 48 hours of training that includes the theory of law enforcement, liability for acts, and the handling of weapons. A person shall be considered eligible for this exemption if he or she has completed the required 20 hours of training for a security officer and 28 hours of required firearm training, and has been issued a firearm control card by the Department of Professional Regulation. Conditions for the renewal of firearm control cards issued under the provisions of this section shall be the same as for those cards issued under the provisions of the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor and Locksmith Act of 2004, 225 ILCS 447/5-5 et seq. Such firearm control card shall be carried by the security guard at all times when he or she is in possession of a concealable weapon;
(7) Agents and investigators of the Illinois Legislative Investigating Commission authorized by the Commission to carry the weapons specified in § 137.01(A)(3) and (A)(4), while on duty in the course of any investigation for the Commission;
(8) Persons employed by a financial institution for the protection of other employees and property related to such financial institution, while actually engaged in the performance of their duties, commuting between their homes and places of employment, or traveling between sites or properties owned or operated by such financial institution, provided that any person so employed has successfully completed a course of study, approved by and supervised by the Department of Professional Regulation, consisting of not less than 48 hours of training which includes theory of law enforcement, liability for acts, and the handling of weapons. A person shall be considered to be eligible for this exemption if he or she has completed the required 20 hours of training for a security officer and 28 hours of required firearm training, and has been issued a firearm control card by the Department of Professional Regulation. Conditions for renewal of firearm control cards issued under the provisions of this section shall be the same as for those issued under the provisions of the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor and Locksmith Act of 2004, 225 ILCS 447/5-5 et seq. Such firearm control card shall be carried by the person so trained at all times when such person is in possession of a concealable weapon. For purposes of this division (A)(8), FINANCIAL INSTITUTION means a bank, savings and loan association, credit union or company providing armored car services;
(9) Any person employed by an armored car company to drive an armored car, while actually engaged in the performance of his or her duties;
(10) Persons who have been classified as peace officers pursuant to the Peace Officer Fire Investigation Act, 20 ILCS 2910/0.01 et seq.;
(11) Investigators of the office of the State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor authorized by the board of governors of the office of the State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor to carry weapons pursuant to the State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor’s Act, 725 ILCS 210/1 et seq.;
(12) Special investigators appointed by a State’s Attorney under 55 ILCS 5/3-9005;
(13) Probation officers while in the performance of their duties, or while commuting between their homes, places of employment or specific locations that are part of their assigned duties, with the consent of the chief judge of the circuit for which they are employed;
(14) Court security officers while in the performance of their official duties, or while commuting between their homes and places of employment, with the consent of the Sheriff;
(15) A person employed as an armed security guard at a nuclear energy, storage, weapons or development site or facility regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission who has completed the background screening and training mandated by the rules and regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and
(16) Manufacture, transportation or sale of weapons to persons authorized under divisions (A)(1) through (A)(15) above to possess those weapons.
(B) Section 137.01(A)(4) and (A)(7) do not apply to or affect any of the following:
(1) Members of any club or organization organized for the purpose of practicing shooting at targets upon established target ranges, whether public or private, and patrons of such ranges, while such members or patrons are using their firearms on those target ranges;
(2) Duly authorized military or civil organizations while parading, with the special permission of the Governor;
(3) Hunters, trappers, or fishermen while engaged in lawful hunting, trapping or fishing under the provisions of the Wildlife Code or the Fish and Aquatic Life Code; and
(4) Transportation of weapons that are broken down in a non-functioning state or are not immediately accessible.
(C) Section 137.01(A)(1) does not apply to the purchase, possession or carrying of a black-jack or slung-shot by a peace officer.
(D) Section 137.01(A)(6) does not apply to any owner, manager or authorized employee of any place specified in that division nor to any law enforcement officer.
(E) Section 137.01(A)(4) and (A)(7) do not apply to members of any club or organization organized for the purpose of practicing shooting at targets upon established target ranges, whether public or private, while using their firearms on those target ranges.
(F) Section 137.01(A)(8) does not apply to:
(1) Members of the Armed Services or Reserve Forces of the United States or the Illinois National Guard, while in the performance of their official duty;
(2) Bona fide collectors of antique or surplus military ordnance;
(3) Laboratories having a department of forensic ballistics, or specializing in the development of ammunition or explosive ordnance; and
(4) Commerce, preparation, assembly or possession of explosive bullets by manufacturers of ammunition licensed by the federal government, in connection with the supply of those organizations and persons exempted by division (F)(1) above, or like organizations and persons outside this state, or the transportation of explosive bullets to any organization or person exempted in this section by a common carrier or by a vehicle owned or leased by an exempted manufacturer.
(G) An information or indictment based upon a violation of any division of this section need not negative any exemptions contained in this section. The defendant shall have the burden of proving such an exemption.
(H) Nothing in this section shall prohibit, apply to or affect the transportation, carrying or possession, of any pistol or revolver, stun gun, taser or other firearm consigned to a common carrier operating under license of the state or the federal government, where such transportation, carrying or possession is incident to the lawful transportation in which such common carrier is engaged; and nothing in this section shall prohibit, apply to or affect the transportation, carrying or possession of any pistol, revolver, stun gun, taser or other firearm, not the subject of and regulated by 720 ILCS 5/24-1(a)(7) or 720 ILCS 5/24-2(c), which is unloaded and enclosed in a case, firearm carrying box, shipping box or other container, by the possessor of a valid firearm owner’s identification card.
(720 ILCS 5/24-2) (2000 Code, § 137.02) Penalty, see § 130.99